Kazumi Miyai | Guided by the North Star—Chikako Watanabe's Journey to Meet the Star Gazers
Artist Chikako Watanabe's exhibition in Sapporo documented her journey and site-specific works created during her residency in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.Summary
Chikako Watanabe, an artist based in Amsterdam, focuses on local communication through art projects centered on clothing, food, and shelter worldwide. This article traces the process leading to her solo exhibition, "Journey to Meet the Star Gazers in Sapporo," held at Moerenuma Park. The journey began with two projects in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, where she engaged with locals, created an installation resembling a boat/house at a temporary seaside venue, and conducted workshops like "Survival Net," which embodies her life's work connecting clothing, food, and shelter. She also created a raft-like object from found materials for performances. The resulting works, incorporating local memory and materials, were then exhibited in Moerenuma Park. There, the exhibition featured video works and a scaled-down structure, including a new film where Watanabe pulls her raft across Isamu Noguchi's Play Mountain, echoing Noguchi's concept of regenerating land through art. The overarching theme of this series, which started with research on Mt. Myoken, involves exploring stories related to the Polaris (North Star) across different cultures, connecting navigators and nomads, and ultimately reflecting on the joy inherent in human movement and existence.
(Source：artscape)